maxplanck58

I left ASE about a year and a half ago after losing my 3rd character with no support, and every once in a while check back in to see if anything has improved. I hear that WC has made a new version with a clean code base. How is everything going?

While Snail Games claims a 2024 launch of Ark 2, Wildcard has said little to nothing about it - only that they will be working on ASA through 2025. The only mention of Ark 2 that I know of since the 2020 teaser video has been from Snail Games in a recent investor's presentation, and they have a long and consistent history of financial problems. Personally I would prefer a focus on getting Ark right with ASA as opposed to making an entirely different kind of game with Ark 2. While I am not crazy about spending money on the same game twice and WC has yet to deliver a stable, optimized, better Ark with ASA, I am not as interested in a 3rd person souls-like game.

My life with the great Left 4 Dead 2 became so much better when they allowed us to block custom sprays. I got so tired of seeing salacious anime gifs painted all over the walls of every level. I would imagine the same for Ark: I would turn off chat entirely to avoid constant trolling at times and miss the ones from players that I needed to see.

Yes, Ark is fantasy: just some reflections of the real fossil record and a few creatures that are consistent with it. But I do sympathise with some of what the op states: we all might have different ideas on how we would like Ark to be. I wouldn't mind some more realism in the fantasy game in addition to a more primitive-based experience. I know some people love the manna and the giga and wouldn't want to play the game without them or tech-gear. I think my perfect version of Ark would have a lot of changes: all creatures more consistent with the fossil record, like a normal sized giga. No creatures with too many abilities so that each creature has some unique role to fill. No technology past the bronze age. Again, just a vision on what I would prefer, and I have no problem with those that love Ark the way it is.

With few exceptions, almost everything WC has released has been delayed. Why are you all so shocked? I would have expressed surprise if it came out on time.

I know two people personally (in real life) that have purchased ASA: one of them has "put it away" for a couple of months until it gets more stable before trying again. The other got a Steam refund. Both claim to have computers that are inbetween the minimum and recommended hardware requirements, and both claim that ASA crashes so often as to be unplayable. I got ASE when it launched in early access, and I remeber a lot of bugs but never as bad as what they describe.

I was considering buying, but I wanted to see what the initial feedback was like before I pulled the trigger. If I saw feedback that a cleaned up code base and new engine produced a stable, optimized game, I would put some money down. But the current state seems to me like a big sign: the future of ASA seems to be following the same path that I went through with the realease of ASE: even having similar bugs and exploits. The tradegy of ASE was that you had the potential for greatness: a fantastic idea and developers that seemed like they put a lot of love into the game. But ASE fell short on execution: unstable, unoptimized, and uncompromized by exploiters and hackers. Their attachment to a publisher with a tainted reputation did not help either, and they really lived up to it. So it seems like on all fronts, ASA is following a similar tragectory as ASE.

Has anyone else noticed that WC seems to partner with comanies that have profounly negative reputations: Snail Games, Overwolf, Nitrado. Only an anecdotal observation, but I don't think I have seen a positive comment about any of the three.

In a way I appreciate all of the negative feedback: I am looking for as many reasons as possible to resist buying the game (since it would require buying a new computer that can run it). Stay strong....stay strong....

Before paying for a new version of the same game that I have already bought twice before, I want to make sure that the new version doesn't have the same problems that the first one had: dismal performace issues and exploits. How is it doing?

I can't believe that I am excited about buying a game that I have already bought twice before. Damn you, Wildcard!

After losing my character and all of my progress for the second time on an official server transfer and being consistently let down by support, I gave up on Ark a year ago. Yes, I know some of you who went through the same and carried on, but I am a big-baby I guess. I have been skeptical about ASA but try to be open-minded about the future of Ark. There are a couple of nuggets of transparency in this Community Crunch that give me a sense of hope. I am still in wait-and-see mode, but I have to admit a dash of excitement and yearning.

Meh - it's ok, I guess....

Doesn't quite look like a $60 upgrade to me.

Similar, but different: I found some crazy high level rexes as well, but I will only use them for boss fights (and alpha genesis hunt missions). Otherwise I will keep them cryoed - they are essentially little gigas. Also enjoying the primitive life - it is nice to have a challenge again.